Program Overview

The Department of Health and Human Services has identified furthering the use of health information technology (HIT) as a key priority. This focus also supports the President’s goal of universal adoption of electronic health records for all Americans by 2014. This Critical Access Hospital- Health Information Technology Network Implementation Grant promotes the implementation of HIT and electronic health records (EHR) in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and the providers they work with directly.

The funding for this opportunity is in accordance with Section 1820(g) of the Social Security Act.

Program Purpose

The purpose of the FLEX CAH HIT Network grant is to provide funds to support the development of a (1) Flex CAH-HIT Network pilot programs in States receiving the grant. Examples of HIT may include practice management systems, disease registry systems, care management systems, clinical messaging systems, personal health record systems, electronic health record systems and health information exchanges.

HRSA’s experience has shown that it is cost effective to utilize networks of health care providers to develop health information technology systems. HRSA is interested in programs that can measure the impact of HIT in terms of outcomes that support the aims of this funding opportunity. Each of the grantees has past experience with the use of quality improvement programs. HRSA requires at least five performance outcome measures two of which HRSA defines to include diabetes control and heart disease risk reduction. The grantees will utilize measures to support the aim of enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, safety and quality as related to HIT implementation.

Grantees

Organization Name	City	State
Alabama Department of Public Health	Montgomery	AL
Hawaii State Department of Health	Honolulu	HI
Illinois Department of Public Health	Springfield	IL
Indiana State Department of Health	Indianapolis	IN
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals	Baton Rouge	LA
Michigan Department of Community Health	Lansing	MI
Minnesota Department of Health	Saint Paul	MN
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks	ND
NE Department of Health and Human Services R&L	Lincoln	NE
Oklahoma State University, Center for Health Sciences	Tulsa	OK
South Carolina Office of Rural Health	Lexington	SC
Tennessee Department of Health	Nashville	TN
Office of Rural Community Affairs	Austin	TX
Virginia Department of Health	Richmond	VA
Washington State Department of Health	Olympia	WA
Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System	Madison	WI

Program Contact

Michael McNeely
Public Health Analyst
HRSA, Office of Rural Health Policy
Telephone: 301 443 5812
Fax: 301 443 2803
mmcneely@hrsa.gov